Hotel 1000

It’s easy to get distracted by all the high-tech amenities at the 1000—along with iPod docking stations, Wi-Fi, and personally programmed sensors that control everything from climate to mood lighting in each of the 120 rooms, the hotel also boasts an ingenious (or useless, depending on your POV) virtual driving range that re-creates the experience of golfing the world’s best courses. Apart from its gadgetry, though, the 1000 is quite simply a beautiful hotel. The Pacific Northwest is honored in subtle ways throughout the space: dark greens, browns, and blues replicate the colors of the land and water; glass sculptures and ceramic lamps and vases honor the region’s artistic legacy by using earthy tones and locally sourced materials.

Tip: Pop into the on-site spa for its equivalent of happy hour—from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., it offers a menu of quick pick-me-ups such as 30-minute massages and 15-minute manicures.

Room to Book: No. 1208, a corner room, has the hotel’s most beautiful views—one picture window looks over Elliott Bay and Puget Sound; from the other, Mount Rainier rises in the distance over the city.